Dine and Dash: The Most Commuter-Friendly Breakfast Spots in Brooklyn
Most of us have our weekday morning routines down to a science. And the slightest deviation from those carefully structured schedules can spark a chain of events that not only make you late for work, but set everything off-kilter for the rest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, scant wiggle room often leaves breakfast at the wayside; but if you live by one of these subway-adjacent eateries, you can add a truly excellent meal to your daily itinerary, and never miss a beat.
Jalapa Jar (2/3 at Clark St)
It simply doesn’t get more convenient than this Austin breakfast taco stand, located at the base of the St. George Hotel, directly above Brooklyn Heights’ 2 and 3 trains. For ease of eating on the actual subway, best to select supple flour tortillas over corn, which get layered with a base of salsa-infused eggs, and augmented with toppings such as chorizo, cheese, bacon, avocado, and even jalapeno and garlic-studded mashed potatoes.
100 Clark St., Brooklyn Heights
Smith Canteen (F/G at Carroll St.)
If you can get in before the stroller set descends, Rob Newton and Kerry Diamond’s Counter Culture coffee-dispensing café is the ultimate early morning pit stop for portable sweet and savories, like strawberry pop tarts, ham and cheese croissants, and cheddar and scallion-flecked scones.
343 Smith St., Carroll Gardens
Brooklyn Commune (F/G at Fort Hamilton Pkwy)
Windsor Terrace commuters can step directly from the sunshiny recesses of the husband-and-wife-owned Brooklyn Commune (with housemade granola, tempeh hash, and egg, cheese, spinach and mushroom sandwiches on gluten free bread in tow) and into the subterranean maws of the Fort Hamilton Parkway station.
601 Greenwood Ave., Windsor Terrace
Frankel’s (G at Nassau Ave.)
Being that it’s the very first storefront we see when we ascend from the G train, we can only imagine what a beacon Frankel’s is in the morning; sustaining Greenpoint locals and workers with artisanal appetizing options such as hand rolled bagels stacked with pastrami salmon, dill pickled cucumber, and schmears of scallion cream cheese.
631 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
Karam (R at 86th St.)
While your standard assortment of coffee shops and fast food joints hover above Bay Ridge’s busy 86th Street station, the early waking Karam’s (though better known as a lunch spot) provides the most interesting breakfast options by far; such as broad beans simmered in tomato sauce, spiced lamb sausage sandwiches, or palm-sized pies filled with chicken, spinach or shrimp.
8519 4th Ave., Bay Ridge
Dunwell Donuts (L at Montrose)
On-the-go vegans are well served by the businesses circling Montrose. Champs Diner (a haven of tofu scramble and soysage rolls and sautéed kale breakfast burritos) is a short jaunt from the subway, while Dunwell Donuts is a stone’s throw; churning out maple blueberry, peanut butter and jelly, and lemon poppy seed-flavored pastries, entirely free of animal product.
222 Montrose Ave., East Williamsburg
Daily Press Coffee (A/C/S at Franklin Ave.)
An elevated trio of trains may regularly rumble overhead, yet it barely breaks the idyll of this congenial coffeehouse, committed to showcasing small, regional purveyors like Irving Farm (espresso), Battenkill Valley (cream), Clementine Bakery (vegan and gluten-free pastries) and Four & Twenty Blackbirds; which supplies seasonal fruit and custard mini pies and savory hand pies, stuffed with mushroom and manchego, lamb and potato, or roasted root veggies.
505 Franklin Ave., Bed Stuy
KITH Treats (2/3/4/5/R/N/D /LIRR at Atlantic Ave)
Smack in the epicenter of Brooklyn’s busiest commuter hub, this designer sneaker store made waves by dedicating real estate to NYC’s very first all-cereal bar last summer. Provided with a checklist, patrons can devise their own sugary assortment, or select a creation courtesy of KITH’s celeb friends; Action Bronson’s breakfast of champions is the Bam Bam; Rice Krispies Treats, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Marshmallow Charms tossed with crushed Oreos and Kit Kats, and drowned in (skim) milk.
233 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Heights
